NAIROBI — Lecturers at Kenya’s public universities say they will not return to class until their pay agreements are honoured in full, as a nationwide strike entered its third week on Wednesday.
At a press briefing in Nairobi, union leaders accused university councils and the government of dragging their feet on collective bargaining agreements, known as CBAs, that date back several years.
“We shall remain outside until the issues raised are addressed,” said Grace Nyongesa, national chairperson of the University Academic Staff Union (UASU). “The 2021–2025 CBA must be implemented in full, and negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA must begin immediately. We are tired of chasing arrears years later and losing value.”
The unions argue that lecturers are still owed 7.9 billion shillings from the 2017–2021 agreement. They insist that promises made in the current CBA cycle have not been fully met, despite government claims to the contrary.
Charles Mukhwaya, secretary-general of the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), accused vice chancellors of misleading the public. “The court has directed that we be paid. We cannot negotiate a court judgment. Let them pay,” he said. Failure to comply, he added, amounted to contempt of court.
The strike has paralysed learning across public universities, with some students threatening to stage protests of their own if the deadlock continues. Many have already endured disrupted semesters after a similar strike last year spilled into 2025.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has warned that lecturers could face disciplinary action for defying a court order to return to work. He said the government had already released 2.5 billion shillings through the Treasury to implement the second phase of the 2021–2025 agreement.
But union leaders insist the funds fall short. “This is not about partial payments. It is about honouring the agreement in full,” Ms Nyongesa said.
For now, the standoff shows little sign of easing. Lecturers say they are prepared to hold out for as long as it takes, while students, university managers and the government brace for the consequences of yet another prolonged shutdown in Kenya’s higher education system.
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